Meat cutting machine



g- 1949- B. MAHLKE MEAT CUTTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Way gwua/wtom Aug. 6, 1940. B. MAHLKE I 2,210,765

MEAT CUTTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1938 r 3 Sheets-Shae; 2-

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' Wen B. MAHLKE MEAT CUTTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1938 Aug. 6, 1940.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a m5/v 4 Mm U/i 7 r 5 f 7 "WW/J E y 2 W 2 2 1 a v% M f 1 m Patented Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES I M-Em OFFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to a meat machine and a method of producing an article of meat product which in the trade is known as city or mock chicken.

L An object of this invention is to provide a meat cutting machine which is so constructed thatinitially sliced meat may be die cut and at the same time impaled by a skewer.

I Another object of this invention is to provide an improved machine which is capable of simultaneously cutting and impaling the cut pieces of meat by a skewer so as to eliminate the necessity of manually cutting the meat with a knife into predetermined small pieces and subsequently im- 5 paling the pieces with a skewer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kind which is so constructed that two or more slices of meat may be die cut at the same time and the die cut meat also simultaneously impaled by a skewer.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of producing skewered meats which includes the die cutting of a plurality of slices or laminations of meat and the 1: simultaneous impaling of the cut slices by a skewer upon which the die cut slices are retained.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a machine of this kind which is so constructed that a considerable saving in time and an labor is accomplished in the production of skewered meat which is initially cut in relatively thin slices and subsequently formed into patties of small pieces held together by means of a skewer or other holding means. r

is To the above objects and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention.

In the drawings:

I Figure 1 is a detail top plan of a meat working or cutting machine constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the machine,

50 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation of the machine, Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan of the 55 plunger controlling means,

(or. i-z-l) Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 5, v

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken on 5 the line 8-8 of Figure 3,

Figure 9 :is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 4,

nated meat product formed by this machine. 16

Referring to the drawings, the numeral i5 designates generally a base structure comprising a top plate. l8 having dependent flanges i1 and supporting legs I8 which may be outtumed as at I8 so as to provide feet which, if desired, may 2 be bolted or fastened to a suitable support. A

pair of upstanding right angular supporting members 28 are secured at their lower ends to a the rear of the base I} and are connected together at their upper ends by a connecting bar 2|. A forwardly projecting boss 22 is carried by each supporting member 28 on the front side thereof and a vertically disposed guide member. 28 engages the upper bosses 22 and also engagesat the lower ends in lower bosses 24 which are also carried by the front faces of the angle supporting members". A pair of sleeves 25 are slidable on the guide members 28 and a die supporting sleeve or socket member 28 is secured to the sleeves 25 by a connecting member 21 in the form of a web or the like.

A pair of bosses or hearing members 28 are carried by the supporting members 20 adjacent the lower portions thereof and a shaft 28 is journalled through the bosses 28. A lever 88 is 40 fixed to the shaft 28 between the bosses 28 being provided with a hub or sleeve 8| which is fixed in any suitable manner such as by set screws, a key or the like to the shaft 28. The lever 88 projects upwardly and between the supporting members 20 and is connected to the slide comprising the two sleeves 25 and the socket or die supporting member 28 by means of a link 82. The link 82 at its lower end is bifurcated and engages on opposite sides of the lever 88 being mounted on a pin 88. The upper endof the link 82 is also bifurcated with the bifurcations thereof engaging on opposite sides of a depending lug 84. A pin 88 engages through the link 82 and the in; 84. In the present instance, thi lug 84 is provided with a threaded shank 66 which extends through a rearwardly' extending web or arm 61 carried by the connecting member 21. A crank or handle 96 is secured to an end of the shaft 26 and is provided with an offset free end portion so as to permit the operation of this handle in a downward direction toward the base i6. 'Ihe lever 66 is normally biased to an uppermost or. to an inoperative position by means of a contractile spring 69 which at one end is secured to the lever 66 and at the opposite end is secured to the connecting member 2| as by a bolt or screw 46.

A table or platform 4| is disposed in upwardly spaced relation to the top of the base l6 being supported by means of a plurality of posts 42 which are flxed to the top of the base l6 and provided at their upper ends with reduced pins 46 engaging in holes 44 provided in the table 4|. In this manner the table 4| may be readily detached from the base II for cleaning or other purposes without disassembling the operating parts of the machine. The table 4| at its rear edge is preferably cut out as at 46 and an upstanding flange 46 is secured along the marginal I edge of the cutout portion 46 and provides a guide means to hold the meat moving laterally across the table 4| from contacting with the guides 26 or any of the other parts of the machine carried by the supporting members 26.

. A die cutter generally designated as 41 is disposed in the carriage comprising the supporting member 26 and the slides 26. The cutter or die member 41 comprises a cylindrical body 46 which is open at each end and which is provided at the lower end with a reduced blade portion 49. The blade 49 is substantially V-shaped in side elevation as shown at 66 in Figure 2 so as to facilitate the cutting of the meat as the blade 49 is moved downwardly by the carriage. The upper end of the die member 41 projects above the top-of the supporting sleeve or socket 26 and is provided with diametrically opposed pins 6| which are adapted to engage in a bayonet slot 62 provided in the flange 66 of a cap 64. The cap 64 is provided axially thereof with a skewer clamping member 66 in the form of a plurality of sectors, the clamping member 66 being formed by longitudinally splitting a sleeve and providing peripheral threads 66 thereon for engagement by a cap or tightening nut 61. A skewer 66 is adapted to engage in the bore 69 of the clamping member 66 and the skewer 66 may be elected from the clamping member 66 by means of an ejecting plunger 66 having a stem 6| extending axially above the cap or tightening member 61. A knob 62 is provided on the upper end of the stem 6| and a spring 66 engages about the stem 6| and constantly holds the plunger 66 in an uppermost or inoperative position.

The periphery of the cylindrical body 46 is provided with an arcuate slot or recess 64 and a screw 66 is threaded through the sleeve26 and is provided with a wing operating member 66 so that when desired the screw 66 can be retracted in order to permit the withdrawal of the die member 41 from the carriage 26-26.

In order to facilitate the cutting of the meat by means of the cutter 49 I have provided a cutter rotating means in the form of a ring 61 which is secured as by a set screw 66 to the die member 41 on the underside of the sleeve 26. An arm 69 iscarried by the ring 61 and a roller 16 is rotatabiy carried by the arm 69. 'When the carthe stationary die member 14.

secured as by bolts o'r screws 12 to the upstanding 26 and the other end secured to the ring 61.

A stationary die member in the form of a cylindrical body 14 having a base flange 16 is secured as by bolts .16 to the top of the base member II with the upper cutting end 11 of the die member 14 projecting into an opening 16 provided in the table 4|. .The movable cutter or die member 41 is adapted to telescope the stationary die member 14 so that a disc-shaped piece of meat will be cut by the. die member 41 and this disc-shaped piece of meat will be positioned interiorly of the die member 41.

In order to provide a'means whereby during initial formation of the laminated product, the lamination may be pushed up into the interior of the movable die member 41, I have provided a plunger 19 which is slidable in the bore 66 of The plunger 19 is provided at its upper end with a sleeve 6| having an outstanding flange 62 which engages against the upper end of the die member 14; The sleeve 6| has limited motion relative to the plunger 19 by providing an elongated slot 66 through the sleeve 6| and extending a bolt 64 through this slot 66 and threading the bolt 64 into the plunger 19. As shown in Figure 4, the

upper end of the plunger 19 is reduced as at 66 so that the exterior diameter of the sleeve 6| is substantially equal to the exterior diameter of the balance of the plunger 19. The plunger 19 is i of a bell crank 61 which is rockably mounted on a shaft 66 carried by a pair of bosses or bearings 69. The bosses or bearings 69 are supported below the top l6 of the base member 16 by extending the right angle flange 96 of each supporting member 26 downwardly and carrying the right angle flange beneath the top l6 as shown at 9|, thus providing a right angle bracing member for the top l6. The bell crank 61 has a pair of spaced apart arms 92 which extend in the direction of the lower end of the plunger 19 and a pin 96 engages between the two arms 92 and loosely engages in a slot 94 provided in the lower end of the plunger 19. In the present instance, this slot 94 opens through the periphery of the plunger 19. The bell crank 61 includes an upper arm 96 which is connected to a bifurcated link 96 with the arm 96 engaging between the blfurcations of the link 96. Preferably, the link 96 is provided with an elongated slot 91 in each bifurcated portion thereof and a pin 96 is carried by the upper end of the arm 96 and engages in the slots 91. In this manner, the bell crank 61 may be operatively connected or disconnected as will be hereinafter described. The upper end of the link 96 is connected to the operating lever 96 by means of a pin 99.

A latching member I66 is swingably mounted on a pivot |6| extending between the bifurcated portions of the link 96 and this latching member I66 is adapted when in latched position to enlatching member I66 is provided with a laterally 7| extending cam I03 which is engageable with a releasing cam I04 secured to the lower end of a shaft or releasing rod I00. The releasingrod I extends upwardly through a lower boss I09 carried by one of the supporting members 20 and an upper boss I01. The upper boss [01 is provided with an annular flange or plate I00 which on the upper face thereof is provided with a plurality of spaced apart recesses or detents I00. A cap or hub member H0 is secured as by a set screw III at the upper end of the shaft I00 and this cap member I0 is held in selected position by means of a ball II2 disposed in a socket H3. The ball I2 is constantly urged downwardly by means of a spring II 4. A handle or operating member I I5 is secured to the boss or cap member H0 and projects upwardly as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The cap member H0 is provided with a lower peripheral flange H9 engaging the top of the flange I09 and the flange III is provided with an arcuate slot or cutout portion II1. A

-stop pin H8 is fixed to the flange I00 and engages in the slot I I1 so as to limit the rotation of the cap IIO on the boss I01.

The bell crank 81 is constantly urged to an irioperative position so as to hold. the plunger 19 in a retracted or inoperative position by means of a spring II9 which has one end thereof secured to the pin'98 and the other end is fixed to a screw I20 or other stationary part of the frame structure.

A vertically disposed bar I2I extends down below the top I6 of the base member I0 and is pro-'- vided at its upper end with a right angularly disposed arm I22 which is secured to the underside of the top I B- by one of the bolts 18. The

lower end of the bar I2I is provided with a right several different kinds of meat are used, the meat being placed in alternate laminations. Under the practice in use at the present time where these patties or laminated food products are formed, the small pieces of food are cut to the desired size by means of a butcher knife and then the small pieces are impaled by a skewer with an alternate piece of meat being of a kind different from the remaining pieces. In accordance with the method developed through the use of this machine, at least two slices of meat are placed on the. table 4i beneath the cutter or die member 41.

The slot 91 in the link 96 is of such a length that during the cutting of the meat by the cutter 41 when thelever is in its lowermost position with the cutter 41 telescoping the stationary die member 14 the plunger 19 will be raised as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4 a' slight distance so as to forcibly push the cut meat upwardly into the interior of the cutter 41. The slldable member 8I-82 carried by the upper end of the plunger 19 is provided so as to assist in releasing the meat from the reduced end of the plunger 19 so that the meat will not adhere to the reduced portion 85. The upper end of the sleeve member 0| is preferably grooved, which it has been found facilitates the above results. Without this arrangement it has been found that the meat, after cutting, tends somewhat to cling to the reduced portion 85. The upper end of the reduced portion 00 is'funnelled out as a self-centering aid to the skewer II.

Initially the operating handle II! for the cam member I04 is in a released pomtion or in such a position that the latching member I00 is disengaged from the pin by reason of the fact that the cam member I04 is turned as viewed in Figure 8 to the left so as to swing the cam member I00 and the latch I00 outwardly from between the bifurcations of the link 90 and in this manner the cutter 41 may be lowered so as to partially telescope the stationary die member 14 with the plunger or packing member 19 inactive until the movable cutter 41 reaches substantially the end of itsdownward movement. When the cutter 41 has cut through the meat on the table 4| the plunger 19 is then raised a short distance by engagement of the pin 90 with the upper end of the slot 91 which will in turn rock the bell crank 01 and thus raise the plunger 19 into the cutter 41. As the plunger 19 is raised the meat lifting sleeve 0| provided with the head or flange 02 is raised therewith so that a relatively wide surface is presented to the underside of the meat and the meat is forced upwardly into the cutter 41 without distorting the meat.

This operation is repeated until a sumcient number laminations have been forced upwardly into the cutter 41 to provide the desired size of article which is termed city chicken or the like. The upper end or top of the cap member I4 is preferably provided with a pair of openings or holes I29 which serve the purpose of venting air on the upper side of the meat laminations, and in addition provide a means in the form of sight openings by which the operator may be able to determine when the cutter 41 has been substantially filled.

When it has been determined that the cutter 41. has been substantially filled the cap member 54 may be turned asviewed in Flgure2to the right so as topartially release the pin 5| on the flange 90 of the cap from the bayonet slot 52. Before the handle 30 is lowered on thenext cutting operation the handle II5 is swung to the position whereby the cam member I 04 is substantially diseng ed from the cam I03. This position is-substantially as shown in Figure 8. In this position, the spring I02 may readily swing the latching member I 00 between the bifurcations of the link 90 so that the lower end of the latch-member I00 will engage the pin 90. The handle 90 may then be lowered and as the lever 30 is rocked downwardly carrying therewith the cutter carriage, the bell crank 81 will be rocked so that the plunger 91 will move upwardly within the cutter 41 for substantially the entire length of the cutter 41. This movement of the plunger 19 will act as an ejecting movement and will force the laminated product within the cutter 41 to-- gether with the cap 54 out of the cutter 41. During this operation the cutter 41 will not cut any laminated meat particles as the plunger 19 is in a partially raised position relative to the table 4| before the cutter 41 engages over the stationary die member 14.

While I have shown the shaft 29 having a handle 30 secured thereto for manual operation of the device it will, of course, be understood that if desired, the shaft 29 may be rocked by a power means so that the cutter carriage can be reciprocated without the necessity of manually rocking the shaft 29 by the handle herein disclosed.

While the device may be used for impaling the discs of meat on the skewer Bl, it will be understood that if desired, the device may be used to cut or dice meats. Where this is done, a blunt ended skewer may be secured in the skewer holding means and the plunger 19 may be removed so that when the cutter 41 is lowered to a cutting position the meat will drop and be forced by the 70 indrical die member can-led by said carriage adapted to partially telescope said stationary die blunt skewer down through the opening formed by 'the removal of the plunger 18 and onto the table upon which the machine sets, from whence the cut pieces of meat may then be removed.

When it is desired to clean or sharpen the cutter 41 the screw 65 is unthreaded so as to withdraw the inner end thereof out of the arcuate slot 8|. The roller carrying ring 61 may also be released and the entire cutter pulled through the top of the carriage.

What I claim is:

1. The method of producing a laminated food 1 product which includes the simultaneous die cutting and impaling the laminations of the product by a skewer common thereto.

2. The method of producing a laminated meat product which includes the simultaneous die cut l ting and impaling of the meat laminations on a common skewer at an angle to the latter whereby the laminations are retained on the skewer.

3. A meat machine comprising a frame, a table carried by said frame, and a hollow cutter car- 1 ried bysaid frame and supported for movement toward or away from said frame, said cutter having diametrically opposed V-shaped keen edge portions.

i 4. A meat machine comprising a frame, a table I carried by said frame, a movable cutter member,

means supporting said movable cutter member for movement toward or away from said table, operating means for said cutter, and a skewer supporting means disposed concentrically of said cutter for releasably supporting a skewer in a manner whereby to impale aslice of meat simultaneously with the cutting of the slice of meat by said cutter.

5. A meat machine comprising a frame, a table.

said carriage, a stationary die member supported.

in fixed position relative to said table, operating means for said carriage, and means for releasably supporting a skewer interiorly of said hollow die member in a manner whereby to impale an article cut by said hollow die member.

7. A meat machine comprising a horizontally disposed table, guide means extending upwardly of said table, a carriage slidably engaging said guide means, operating means for said carriage, a stationary die member disposed in a fixed position relative to said table with the upper end thereof substantially flush with said table, a cylmember upon movement of said carriage in one direction, and a skewer supporting means carried by said cylindrical die member.

'surface of said table, a cylindrical die member,

means securing said cylindrical die member to said carriage, and vertically movable means active upon downward movement of said carriage and said cylindrical die member whereby to force the article cut by said die members upwardly into said cylindrical die member.

9. A meat machine comprising a horizontally disposed table, guide means extending upwardly of said table, a carriage slidably engaging said guide means, operating means for said carriage, a stationary die member, means securing said stationary die member in a position with the upper end thereof substantially flush with the upper surface ofsaid table, a cylindrical die member, means securing said cylindrical die member to said carriage, and vertically movable means active upon downward movement of said carriage and said cylindrical die member whereby to force the article cut by said die members upwardly into said cylindrical die member.

10. A meat machine comprising a frame, a

table carried by said frame, vertically disposed guide means carried by said frame, a carriage slidably carried by said guide means, a cylin-- drical cutter carried by said guide means, operating means for said carriage, a cap engaging the upper end of said cylindrical cutter, and a skewer holding means carried by said cap for detachably supporting a skewer axially of said cylindrical cutter.

11. A meat machine comprising a frame, a table carried by said frame, an upwardly extending guide means carried by said frame, a carriage slidable on said guide means, a cylindrical cutter engaging said carriage, means detachably securing said cutter to said carriage, and means carried by said frame and said cutter whereby to partially rotate said cutter only during the cutting operation.

12. A meat machine comprising a frame, a table carried by said frame, vertically disposed guide means extending upwardly of said table, a carriage slidably engaging said guide means, operating means for said carriage, a cylindrical cutter, means detachably securing said cutter to said carriage for movement of said cutter toward or away from said table, a cap engaging the upper end of said cutter, means detachably securing said cap on said cutter, a skewer holding means carried by said cap for releasably holding a skewer in dependent position axially of said cutter, and means carried by said cap for releasing said skewer from said latter means.

13. A meat machine comprising a frame, a table carried by said frame, upwardly extending guide means carried by said frame, a carriage slidably engaging said guide means, a cylindrical cutter, means detachably securing said cutter to said carriage, a stationary die member extending below said table, said table having an opening therethrough whereby said cylindrical cutter may partially telescope said stationary die member, means carried by said cylindrical cutter for supporting a skewer axially thereof, a packing member slidably engaging said stationary die'member, and means connecting said packing member with said operating means whereby said packing mem- 20 packing member to release her will move upwardly into said cylindrical cutter coactive with the downward movement of said cylindrical cutter in a manner to impale the material cut by said cylindrical cutter on said skewer.

14., A meat machine comprising a frame, a horizontally disposed table carried by said frame, vertically disposed guide means carried by said frame, a carriage slidably engaging said guide means, a cylindrical cutter carried by said carriage, means engaging said cylindrical cutter for releasably holding a skewer axially and interiorly of said cutter, a stationary die member extending below said table and having the upper end thereof substantially flush with the top of said table, said cylindrical die member. adapted to partially telescope over said stationary die member, a packing member slidably engaging interiorly of said stationary die member, means carried by said the meat from said stationary 'die member, a bell crank rockably carried by said frame having one arm thereof engageable with said packing member, a link engaging said operating means provided with an elongated slot therein, a pin engaging through another arm of said bell crank and said elongated slot, 2. spring pressed latching member carried by said link engageable with said other arm to hold said other am against movement longitudinally of said slot, a cam carried by said latching member, and releasing means disposed in the path of said cam whereby to disengage said cam from said arm of said bell crank to thereby release said bell crank irom said operating means.

15. The method of producing a laminated meat product which includes the simultaneous die cutting and impaling meat laminations axially thereof on a skewer common to said. laminations.

BRUNO MAE-HIKE. 

